Smaller lineup lifts Tulane Green Wave past Long Island Blackbirds

With both of its starting post players nursing injuries, Tulane played five guards for much of Monday night’s game against Long Island.

The smaller, speedier lineup not only flustered the Blackbirds’ defense, it also provided the Green Wave with one of its stronger offensive efforts of the season. Tulane won its seventh consecutive game, defeating Long Island 82-59 in the first round of the DoubleTree Classic at Fogelman Arena.

Chassity Brown led the Green Wave (9-2) with 21 points. Danielle Nunn and Tiffany Aidoo, who were filling in for injured center Brett Benzio and forward Brittany Lindsey, each had career highs with 19 points.

“The thing that sticks out in my mind is we’re missing two of our top three scorers tonight,” Tulane Coach Lisa Stockton said. “You ask your players to step up, and two of them have career nights.”

Benzio had an MRI exam on her right foot, which revealed the start of a stress fracture, Stockton said. Doctors advised that she play only one of the two games in the tournament, and Stockton chose today’s contest.

Lindsey has been sidelined since Dec. 5 with a shoulder injury. Stockton is targeting a Jan. 8 return — when the Green Wave opens Conference USA play against Houston — for Lindsey. Jennifer Nwokedi, who blocked five shots in 11 minutes, was Tulane’s only healthy 6-footer available against the Blackbirds. Tulane was outrebounded 36-33 but allowed just three second-chance points.

The Green Wave shot 47.4 percent, while Long Island connected on 42.6 percent of its attempts.

Tulane nearly had three players reach career highs in scoring. Brown fell two points short of her personal best of 23.

“I think because we’re playing all guards, they had a harder time being able to guard our guards,” said Nunn, who has scored in double figures in three straight games. “We just took advantage of it on the perimeter and used our guard skills — even though we were playing the post, me and Tiffany — and we just really went after them.”

Chelsi Johnson led the Blackbirds (7-5) with 19 points. Ashley Palmer and Connie James each added 12.

“We came out and we were a little shell-shocked with what they were doing,” Long Island Coach Gail Striegler said. “Our game plan was definitely not expecting them to play five guards. They came out, were totally aggressive, and we were on our heels the whole night.” Tulane’s lack of height did not prevent it from driving the lane often, especially in the first half when the Green Wave scored 22 of its 38 points in the lane or on free throws.

Tulane struggled shooting early but found its stroke from the perimeter late in the first half. The team matched a season high with eight 3-pointers. Brown accounted for four 3-pointers, and Aidoo made three.

“Starting from day one, I think that we play as a team,” Aidoo said. “We come and we execute and we play hard and we play for each other. I think the best that we’ve played with each other is right now.”

After leading 38-25 at halftime, the Green Wave widened its lead with a 10-0 run early in the second half. Olivia Grayson’s free throw with 14:54 remaining put Tulane ahead 56-28, giving the Green Wave its largest lead of the game.

The Blackbirds later shaved the deficit to 14 points, only to see Tulane answer with a 12-2 run — which included back-to-back 3-pointers by Brown.

Long Island committed 25 turnovers. Tulane turned over the ball 11 times — twice in the first half.

“Everyone was handling the ball, we were attacking the basket and pressuring the whole court,” Stockton said.